Ok
by tic tac toe 03
Summary: It's Lily and James's last Christmas at Hogwarts and their friends think that as they are going to the ball together something could happen between them. But they hadn't counted on snowball fights, work and Voldemort getting in the way.


**Ok **

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OCs _

Only the crunch of the footsteps in the snow could be heard as the five seventh year Gryffindors girls treaded a path down to Hogsmeade leading the way for the rest of the Hogwarts students, third years upwards.

It was mid December and the last visit before some students returned home for the holidays and consequently the last visit before the Christmas Ball being held on Christmas Eve. So while the trip was for many a chance to complete their Christmas shopping it was also a chance for those in fifth year and up to find their dress for the ball.

And so it was hardly surprising that instead of the mad rush towards the Three Broomsticks for a warm Butterbeer there was instead a stampede of girls towards Madam Malkins Hogsmeade branch.

"Who are you going with Char?" Emmeline Vance asked the muggleborn as they pushed their way to the door of the shop.

Charlotte looked slightly sheepish as she pushed the door open to let a rush of cold air into the warmth where they were headed. "Sirius Black." Four sets of footsteps halted as the news sunk in.

"You're going with Black?" Lily recovered first and lightly shoved Isobel into the shop so she could shut the door and stop the cold mingling with the warm. "When did that happen?"

"He asked me at Quidditch practice this morning." The chaser smiled as she thought of her quidditch captain who had cornered her outside the changing rooms and in a very uncharacteristically way had nervously asked her to the ball.

"Finally." Elizabeth sighed. "He's been going on about asking you every Potions lesson for three weeks now." She had been partnered with Sirius since the start of the term when Slughorn had had to split James and Sirius up because of their lack of concentration leading to several disastrous moments.

"And you didn't tell me?" Charlotte looked slightly indignant.

"He asked me not too." Lizzie shrugged looking around at the racks of dresses. "By the way did anyone see the marauders on the way down?"

"No." Isobel answered. "But I overheard them at breakfast talking about it so they must be here somewhere."

"Let's not worry about them." Emmeline brushed them aside. "I want to know who you guys are going with." The girls had all decided not to share who had asked them until the day of the Hogsmeade visit mainly because it added a bit of mystery to their otherwise rather dull lives. Besides bets had been placed amongst them and they never passed up a chance of friendly competition.

"Well I'm going with Benjy obviously." Isobel grinned as she thought of her Ravenclaw boyfriend. They had been dating since just before the summer holidays and her friends had agreed that they had never seen a couple more suited to each other than they were.

"Caradoc Dearborn asked me." Emmeline shrugged easily as Isobel squealed in delight as Benjy and Caradoc were in the same house and therefore very good friends.

"Robert Bell." Lizzie smiled as she confirmed that her long time crush had finally asked her out. Robert was in Hufflepuff and the captain of their quidditch team and one of the 'catches' in the school although James, Sirius and Remus outstripped him easily.

"You're being awfully quiet Lils." Charlotte asked the Head Girl who was looking as though she really didn't want to get involved with the conversation. "Who are you going with?"

She looked at the ground and mumbled something her face turning a bright red. "What was that?" Isobel asked with a wicked grin having been the only one to hear what she had said. "You're going with James Potter."

"What!" Charlotte, Lizzie and Emmeline shrieked together causing the majority of the shop's customers to look over at them.

"You finally said yes." Emmeline bounced slightly on her heels with excitement.

"That will stop him moaning at quidditch practice." Charlotte sighed with relief although her blue eyes showed how pleased she really was for both her friends.

"Congratulations." Lizzie smiled at Lily who only rolled her eyes in exasperation and jabbed Isobel in the side with her elbow.

"We're going as friends." She broke the news to them and immediately the four insanely wide grins slid off their faces. Ever since James had matured at the start of sixth year they had been hoping that Lily would give the guy a chance a hope that had been fuelled by the appointments of both Lily and James as heads. Although this had meant that they were both now good friends they hadn't progressed further.

"He asked me today if I was going with anyone which I wasn't and as he wasn't going with anyone either we decided that we'd go together as friends besides we have to open the ball together anyway. It makes sense." Lily justified.

"I'm not sure the Hogwarts gossip mill will see it that way Lils." Lizzie sighed as the other three tried to conceal their disappointment as fast as Lizzie had been able too. "Let's go and get our dresses." Lizzie smiled with refreshed energy before Lily could argue.

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"What do you think?" Charlotte stepped out and gave her gathered friends a twirl. She was dressed in a knee length strapless chocolate brown dress which flowed out at the waist.

"Stunning." Emmeline spoke the simple truth. "Sirius will love it." The others nodded in agreement and Charlotte smiled at them before going back to change into her muggle clothes.

"So it's just you then Lils." Isobel turned to Lily who was standing behind her a defeated look on her face. The others had already found their dresses which were slung in bags over their arms a non-creasing spell preventing them from getting ruined in the journey back to the castle.

"I can't find one?" Lily wailed looking almost distraught. "What am I going to do? All the ones I've found make me look awful. What will James think?"

"Sounds to me as though you care a lot about our precious Head Boy's opinion." Emmeline teased but quickly shut up as Lily glared fiercely at her.

"It's all right Lils." Lizzie soothed coming to the rescue as ever. "We'll all help you look." Lily looked slightly calmed and they split off in different directions to search.

Lily was flicking through the rails stopping every so often as something caught her eye when she heard a shout from the other side of the shop. By the time she got there the others were all gathered looks of admiration on their faces as Emmeline held a dress up.

It was black and strapless with an emerald green bow at the front and the material flowed down to the floor. "You have to try it on Lils." Isobel breathed as Lily took the hanger from Emmeline and disappeared into the changing room.

"So…?" She asked minutes later when she appeared from behind the curtain.

"It's perfect." Lizzie sighed. "You look amazing."

"James might faint." Emmeline teased and Lily didn't even bother to send her a glare for alluring to James's feelings for her which had always been a touchy subject for she was too thrilled with the dress she was currently wearing.

"As lovely as this." Charlotte said the sarcasm evident in her voice for while she didn't mind shopping and dressing up she could only cope with it for short amounts of time preferring to be out playing quidditch or rugby when she wasn't in the magical world. "Can you please go and pay." She pointed at Lily. "So we can go and get some Butterbeer."

Lily rolled her eyes but turned to go and change back before she went to pay.

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"I don't know what beats Butterbeer." Isobel sighed satisfactorily as she sipped at the bottle she was clutching in her hands. "I really don't."

"Hot chocolate." Emmeline said immediately quick to defend her love for all things chocolaty. "Speaking of which we need to go to Honeydukes after this."

"As long as we can go to Zonkos too." Charlotte agreed. "I promised Sirius I'd get him some more dungbombs seeing as he and the rest of them are banned from there." The marauders had been banned from the shop since the beginning of the term by McGonagall who had decided that it was the one punishment that might have some affect on the four almost adults after they had somehow managed to put aging potion into the Slytherins drinks causing the snakes to walk round as old men and women for the day until the teachers had finally managed to reverse it.

Lily looked disapproving. "Do you have to help them with their rule breaking?" She snapped as her brain was bombarded with all kinds of images of what the marauders would use the dungbombs for next.

"Lighten up Lils it's nearly Christmas." Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Besides it's not as though you stop James from pulling all their pranks."

"He wouldn't listen even if I did." The Head Girl protested as the others made noises of disagreement. It was common knowledge that James Potter would do anything for Lily Evans. "Besides I don't actively help them."

"She's got a point." Isobel agreed. "And anyway they do certainly liven up our time in school."

"And take our minds of what's going on out there." Lizzie added jerking her thumb in the direction of the window where the snow was coming down thicker than ever. "What with Voldemort on the loose we could all do with a few laughs.

The rest of them were silent and Lizzie was sure that they too were remembering the front page of the prophet that had arrived that morning. _Spinnets found dead in their home. _Alan Spinnet was in the year below them and Gryffindor prefect. It had made her feel sick just thinking about what his Christmas was going to be like without his parents.

"Why so glum ladies?" Sirius Black swung into the empty seat next to Charlotte banging his own bottle onto the table. "Anyone would think you weren't looking forward to Christmas."

"Just thinking about Spinnet" Charlotte answered abstractly her thoughts still lost with the growing threat from the outside the castle. "Do you know where he's gone?" Alan had disappeared from school the previous day after reportedly being pulled out of Potions by Dumbledore himself.

"Dumbledore's got him all looked after." James replied dragging up a chair beside Lily as Remus and Peter did the same filling the gap between the two dark haired marauders. "Dad was the auror who found them." He added after a pause remembering his father's letter to him telling him that he had been taken to the Order's Headquarters for Christmas. Harold Potter was the Head Auror and one of the first who had joined the Order of the Phoenix when Dumbledore set it up two years ago. James had stumbled across the Order when he had entered his kitchen at two o'clock in the morning looking for a drink to find a meeting in full swing. It was the only secret he had kept from his friends but knew that they like him would join the day they were out of school.

A sombre silence had fallen across the table which was predictably broken by a certain Sirius Black. "Have you got those Dungbombs yet?" His words were met by eight amazed faces. "Just trying to relieve the tension." He defended himself.

James relaxed and grinned at his best friend while Remus rolled his eyes his way but Charlotte sent him an exasperated smile and even Lily cracked a grin. "We're heading there next." Charlotte explained.

"After we've been to Honeydukes." Emmeline stepped in quickly.

"Got your priorities straight Vance." James teased as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"She's got a point." Remus agreed with Emmeline biting back a laugh as Sirius and James gasped loudly and Peter stared at him a trickle of butterbeer dribbling down his chin.

"What did you just say Moony?" James looked horrified as the girls dissolved into laughter. Lily felt her lips twitch and soon she was laughing along with the rest of them wondering why she had hated the boy beside her for so long. "I don't think I heard you correctly."

"I think you did Prongs." Remus smirked. "Honeydukes is more important than Zonkos."

"Traitor!" Sirius shouted picking up his bottle and banging it down again to make his point. Several heads turned in their direction but most of the Hogwarts students looked unsurprised to see that it was the Gryffindor seventh years.

Remus shook his head at his two friends. "You think you two of all people would realise a joke when it hit you in the face." The girls laughed even harder as James and Sirius looked sheepish while Peter glanced between the two sides unsure of whether he should laugh or not.

"So what have you girls been up too?" James asked Lily once the laughter died down and the conversation split off into many different branches.

"Dress shopping." Lily answered avoiding his eyes as she realised for the first time the close proximity that they were sitting in. That was what happened she guessed if you squeezed nine people around a table that was meant to seat five.

"You got a nice one?" James asked eagerly leaning forward in his seat so that their arms brushed and Lily had no choice to draw back and was then shocked to find that she didn't really want too.

"No James I got a horrible one. Just so everyone will ignore me and focus on you." Lily teased in the manner that they had both become so familiar with over the time of working together as Heads.

"No one will ever notice me when you're there." James whispered his face so close to her face that she could feel breath on her cheek.

She blushed but pulled herself together in order to reply. "Are you flirting with me Potter?"

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"You and James were looking very cosy in there." Emmeline linked arms with Lily as they entered back out into the chilling cold where the wind whipped up the snow and whirled it around their faces.

"We're just friends." Lily protested.

"Yeah but you're going to the Ball together." Emmeline pointed out as they waved goodbye to the other three. After much debate the girls had decided to split up to get the things they needed quicker in order to hurry back to their warm common room. Isobel, Lizzie and Charlotte had opted for Zonkos to get Sirius's Dungbombs and presents for the boys while Emmeline and Lily armed with money from the others and their own had gone to stock up on the chocolate supply for Christmas.

"As friends and Heads." Lily repeated rolling her eyes in the direction of Emmeline as they crossed the street and towards the ever popular sweet shop.

"Whatever you say." Emmeline tried to conceal her disbelieving smirk but was too late.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily glared at her as they entered into the throng of students all fighting for a space near the front of the shelves.

"You obviously haven't seen the way James looks at you." Emmeline flashed her a bright smile and then taking advantage of the gap in people and darted off towards the chocolate leaving Lily by the Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans.

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"Successful shopping trip?" James asked as Lily entered the heads common room her arms laden with her bags and red cheeks from the cold wind and snow. The two heads shared a common room although they tended to only use it for meetings and in James' s case to work when Sirius didn't allow him any peace in which to do so.

"How did you get back so quickly?" She asked slinging her bags onto the sofa and dumping her cloak onto the back. They had arranged to have their last meeting before the ball with the prefects in half an hour and so as normal they were both there in advance to discuss what they needed to bring up.

"Marauder secret." He winked from where he sat at the table surrounded by parchment, textbooks and the start of a Transfiguration essay. Lily rolled her eyes but joined him at the table with her list of what needed to be done before the Ball.

"Can you think of anything else we need to do?" Lily asked after a while sliding her piece of parchment over to him.

"Don't think so." He shook his head and glanced at the clock. "We should probably tidy up; they'll be here in five minutes." They set to work stacking their own papers into piles before sending them up to their dorms along with their bags with James singing Christmas carols very loudly and out of tune.

"Really James God rest ye Merry Hippogriffs?" Lily raised an eyebrow at him as he paused in between verses.

"It's the best one."He protested before taking a gasp of air and continuing on. Lily shook her head at him a smile playing on her lips.

"I thought that went well." James stretched out on the sofa as the door shut behind the last of the prefects.

"Except when you and the Slytherins almost started a duel." Lily glared at him but the anger that had been there in previous years was no longer there.

"Almost Lils almost." James reminded. "And they so deserved it."

Lily sighed exasperatedly. "Just don't start anything at the ball."

"As if I would." He grinned and then ducked as Lily sent a cushion flying his way.

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"Quiet please." McGonagall swept into her classroom where her seventh years were chattering loudly. It was the last lesson of the week and therefore the term and everyone was talking excitedly about the holidays and the Ball. Even the Slytherins were looking excited for once and not because they were planning something against the rest of the school.

Immediately the rest of the class fell silent leaving the marauders still whispering under the breaths quietly enough so that no one could hear what they were talking about but loud enough for everyone to realise they were talking.

"Potter, Black, Lupin, Pettigrew." She snapped rolling her eyes at the four boys gathered around two tables in the far back left hand corner of the classroom. "I know that the Christmas holidays start in one hour but I would like to teach you something in that time."

"Looking forward to Christmas Professor?" Sirius smirked at her breaking off their conversation as Remus and Peter smiled sheepishly at her and James went for something between the two facial expressions. "Because you could always give us this time off; I've been meaning to kick Jamie's butt in a snowball fight."

"Don't call me Jamie." James whined elbowing Sirius as McGonagall glared at her favourite two students.

"As much as I am looking forward to Christmas Black if you want to pass your NEWTS, and you better had because I don't think I could face another year of you, I need to teach you this." McGonagall told him. "So I'd shut up unless you want double the amount of homework over the holidays."

Sirius grinned at her but said nothing. "Now that I have the class's full attention." McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "We are going to start looking into animagi today and I will be setting you an essay over the holidays about how you go about it."

James, Sirius and Remus exchanged gleeful glances and even Peter looked cheerful about the thought of an essay to write. For the three animagi's the essay would be a piece of cake to write and although Remus wasn't one he had been along for the ride and knew all the ins and outs of the processes.

"Can anyone tell me how you would go about becoming animagi before I run through it with you?" The Deputy Headmistress asked not expecting anyone to be able to answer her question.

To her complete shock four hands shot up into the air all four boys wearing identical widespread grins. "Potter?" She asked and then thought better of it. "If this is a prank then you will be in detention over the whole break." She warned. Although he was top of the class he rarely ever volunteered information and especially not with an insane grin.

"It's not Professor." He looked hurt at the accusation. "Would I ever do something like that?"

"Do you want me to go back over the whole of your school career?" She raised her eyebrows at him as Sirius sniggered next to him.

James kicked his chair and then turned a sincere yet charming smile at his Professor. "I can actually tell you though."

"Go on then." McGonagall sighed gesturing for him to go ahead against her better judgement. James exchanged a smug glance with Remus as Sirius flailed wildly on his chair trying to save his balance before he felt the full effect of James's kick and fell on the floor.

Five minutes later James stopped in his full flow of speech having just finished explaining the last step in the process to becoming an animagus. The rest of the class had turned in the chair to listen surprised while McGonagall was staring open mouthed at her student. While she knew that James was the top in Transfiguration followed closely by Sirius she hadn't expected this.

"Thank you Potter." She finally managed as he exchanged high fives with the other three.

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"All right men this is it." Sirius faced the rest of his team as they stood in the snow piles of snowballs at their feet. Not many people had gone home for the holidays although Peter was one of them under the pretence of his mother being ill but the others suspected it was because he had failed to find a date for the ball.

After dinner Sirius had dragged the seventh year Gryffindors out to play in the snow as a celebration of the end of term and Benjy, Caradoc and Robert had joined them after seeing the heavy stampede of Gryffindors through the entrance hall.

Sirius had taken it upon himself to lead his team to victory and so was standing in front of James, Remus, Caradoc, Robert and Benjy. After much debate over who was going on whose team they eventually settled it as boys versus girls on the simple account of it being an easy divide and easy to remember who was one whose team.

"We have to win." Sirius continued. "Otherwise our manly pride will go down in tatters."

"In tatters?" Benjy whispered to Remus was looking slightly amused at how seriously the dark haired boy was taking the snowball fight. Remus only shrugged in response and neither attempted to talk to each other again as Sirius glared at them fiercely.

"So remember our plan." Sirius told the others before giving them a salute and turning to face the same direction as them and the five girls that were a short distance away.

"What plan?" Caradoc asked the others giving Sirius a strange look.

"I have no idea." James sighed. "And to think he used to be the normal one."

"He's never been the normal one." Remus shook his head at James.

The fight was a complete disaster for the boys. It had started badly when Sirius had led the charge towards the girls without any snowballs and instead had rugby tackled Charlotte. By the time the rest of them had got near enough to throw snowballs to hit the girls Isobel had copied Sirius and thrown herself into Benjy's arms.

The rest of the boys had left their wands in their dormitories and so quickly ran out of snowballs and did not have any time to make more as the girls quickly fired snowball after snowball at them. Eventually Sirius called surrender from under Charlotte who was sitting on him and was in the same position as both Benjy and Caradoc.

Robert was hiding behind a tree as Lizzie, who was sitting on a branch above, threw an avalanche of snow down onto him. Only Remus and James were still up and fighting but dropped to the ground gratefully as Sirius called surrender.

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"I can't believe we had to surrender." Sirius sulked at breakfast the following day heaping beans onto his plate to go with his sausages.

"Will you let it go already?" James rolled his eyes at his friend taking the plate of bacon that Remus handed him. "You were the one who surrendered."

"And got us up so early." Remus added bitterly exchanging a dark look with James. Neither of them had planned on getting up at the normal time on the first day of the holidays but Sirius, who had never been one to stay still or rest for long, had had no such plans and woken the other two up at seven bouncing relentlessly on their beds and tearing the covers off to force them up.

Sirius ignored them looking round the hall chewing his sausages with an open mouth to the disgust of the other idiots who were up at this time. McGonagall glared at him but otherwise did nothing and James and Remus were too used to it to really care.

"Where are the girls?" He asked swallowing his mouthful and gulping down his pumpkin juice.

"Sleeping." James glared at him. "Like sensible people."

"Well we aren't sensible are we?" Sirius pointed out. "It was only yesterday that we put those nifflers in Slughorn's office."

"Yeah about that." James lowered his voice and they automatically leant their heads in closer ignoring the suspicious looks that McGonagall sent them. "I think McGonagall and Slughorn could be onto us so we need to hide those other nifflers in our dorm."

"You think McGonagall would search our dorm?" Sirius asked eyeing their teacher worriedly.

"I wouldn't put it past her." Remus sighed.

"Does this mean we can't do a Christmas prank?" Sirius moaned disappointedly.

"As long as we don't do anything at the ball I think we'll be ok." James confirmed. "And we can blame the girls if we get caught."

"What was that?" Lily asked sliding into a seat next to Sirius and opposite James. The boys exchanged guilty looks but didn't answer her instead changing the subject.

"You're up early." James commented. "Wouldn't you rather be sleeping in? Sirius wouldn't let us."

"I would." Lily agreed. "But Isobel woke me up with her snoring and I couldn't go back to sleep."

"Isobel snores." Sirius grinned wickedly as Lily groaned knowing that he was going to make her life hell until something else embarrassing was revealed about someone else.

"We need to decorate the hall tomorrow morning after breakfast James." Lily reminded him. "Will you two help?" She turned her attention to the other two who were trying to avoid her gaze.

"Aren't the prefects going to help you?" Sirius tried to remind Lily of the other people who were supposed to do the work.

"Well yeah but most of them have gone home for the holidays." Lily told them. "Come on you guys; it will be fun."

Sirius gave her a doubtful look but nodded his head as Remus agreed being too nice to say no when Lily was obviously desperate for the help.

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"Why is Snape here?" Sirius hissed to James as they walked into Great Hall with Remus fifteen minutes after Lily had told them to be here. The Slytherin was in the far corner of the hall with several others as they decorated the tree.

"He's the Slytherin prefect." James answered. "As you know." He gave Sirius a puzzled look wondering if the knock his friend had taken to the head this morning when he fell out of bed had affected his memory after all. His status as a prefect was yet another thing they had made fun of.

"Yeah but why hasn't he gone home for the holidays?" Sirius rephrased as Remus rolled his eyes at the two of them and they continued towards Lily who was standing in the middle of the hall talking with Charlotte as they surveyed a pile of paperchains at their feet.

"I don't know." James gave him an incredulous look. "Why do you assume that I know everything that goes on in _his_ head?"

Sirius shrugged and then shrank behind James as Lily tuned an icy glare on the three as they stopped in front of her. "You're late." Lily snapped as Charlotte sent them a good luck look and jogged off to join Isobel, Emmeline and Lizzie who were discussing how to put the Christmas wreath on the door.

"Sorry" James apologised sincerely. "But we overslept." Lily opened her mouth to tell them what a bad excuse that was but Remus interrupted hastily.

"We were up till early morning discussing the food with the House elves." He quickly explained. "As you asked us too."

Lily scowled at them but found herself unable to tell them off partly because what Remus said was true and her attitude towards the boys had changed much since only two years ago. "Can you two go and tell that lot." Lily gestured to her friends who were still debating. "To hurry up with that wreath and then all of you go and decorate that tree." She pointed to the bare tree opposite the half decorated one."

Sirius and Remus nodded and disappeared off to join the girls exchanging surprised looks that Lily had let them off so easily. "What do you want me to do?" James asked cheerfully shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Can you help me put these up?" Lily gestured to the pile of multi-coloured paper at their feet. "We can use the charm that Flitwick taught us the other day."

"Do you ever stop thinking about schoolwork?" James teased casting the first charm and sending a stream of red and gold paper across the hall.

"When I'm wondering about trouble you lot are going to get into then yes I do." Lily smiled following his lead and a string of green and silver accompanied the red and gold.

"Us trouble?"

"The day you guys avoid trouble when it looks you in the eye I'll eat my hat." Lily laughed as the pile of paper diminished.

"We'll do your best to surprise you." James grinned as the air was filled with the sound of squeals from the Gryffindor corner as Sirius showed off his charm work by transfiguring the Christmas baubles into live fairies.

"Speaking of surprising me." Lily turned the conversation. "How come you know four know so much animagi? I mean I know that you and Sirius are top in transfiguration but how did you know all that."

James looked slightly uncomfortable for a minute before smoothing over his expression before Lily could really register it. "We spent one summer looking into how easy it was."

"Why?" Lily asked curiously. "I didn't think you lot were the type of people to do school work during the holidays."

James swallowed trying to work out how to tell her the truth without giving Remus away. He settled on half the truth. "My aunt was murdered b y Voldemort that summer." He whispered. "It was something to take my mind of it."

Lily gasped. "I'm so sorry James." She whispered placing her hand on his arm.

"Thank you." He gave her a small smile and then brushed the topic aside. "Where do you want this last one?" He gestured to the blue and bronze collection of paper that was sitting pathetically alone at their feet.

Lily smiled at him and gestured to the corner of the hall over the Ravenclaw table before turning to join their friends who were still decorating the tree and trying to stop Sirius from transfiguring the star for the top into something more inappropriate.

James laughed as Remus wrestled Sirius's wand from his grip and jogged over to join them and stop Sirius from inflicting any more damage on the rest of the already decorated hall.

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"You'll be fine." Remus rolled his eyes as James paced the room nervously. All three boys were dressed in their dress robes

"Unless you open your mouth and say something then everything will be screwed up." Sirius commented helpfully from where he sat on his bed, smirking at his nervous best friend.

James gave a half strangled yelp and his hands flew to his hair as though that would make everything better and Remus sent Sirius an exasperated look. James had been pacing nervously ever since they had finished getting dressed and Sirius had been making unhelpful comments ever since while Remus had been trying to calm James.

"Why aren't you nervous?" James demanded as Sirius doubled over in laughter at the sight of James's hair which looked as though he had just been through a series of ten hedges backwards at high speed.

Remus gave a dry laugh. "Oh believe me I am but trying to keep you from freaking out has kept me calm." Remus was taking Dorcas Meadowes who was in their year but Hufflepuff but they had both agreed that they were only going as friends like Lily and James.

However, Remus wasn't nervous because he was completely in love with Dorcas and didn't want to screw things up but because it was a daunting prospect for someone who rarely dated and disliked balls and dances despite the fact that he was the best dancer of the marauders.

"You two are such losers." Sirius sniggered and then gave a yelp of pain as Remus leant over and with a violent shove pushed Sirius onto the floor.

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"Where is she?" James whined to thin air as the clock struck seven. Remus, Lizzie, Emmeline, Isobel had gone down to the entrance hall to meet with their own dates and Sirius and Charlotte had left the common room a few minutes ago leaving James to wait nervously for Lily.

"James?" A small voice behind him made James whirl round to see Lily standing there smiling beautifully at him.

"You look stunning." James whispered as his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her.

Lily shifted uncomfortably and then rescued the situation with the usual teasing banter that usually filled their conversation. "You don't look to bad I suppose."

James grinned and then offered her his arm. "Shall we milady."

"We shall." Lily accepted his arm and they left the deserted common room together and through the corridors as they made small talk interspersed with the laughter. There was silence as they entered the hall, the people lining the walls drinks in hands as they waited for their Heads to open the ball for them.

Lily gulped as she saw the numerous pairs of eyes all turned on her and her 'friend' and jerked back as though she was about to run but James seemed to read her mind and tightened his grip on her hand. She looked up at him and he smiled down at her, waited for her to smile back before drawing her out onto the dance floor.

There was a round of applause as the music started and they started to dance. Sirius winked at Lily as she met his eyes over James's shoulder and Charlotte smirked at her before she accepted Sirius's hand and they joined the other couples who were following James and Lily's example.

"You dance well." Lily commented looking surprised as James spun her neatly and then brought her back into hold.

"Mum made me and Sirius take lessons." He admitted looking as though he was reliving a rather humiliating memory something which Lily picked up on.

"Why the face?" Lily asked a wicked gleam in her eye which James recognised as the one that meant she would give up until he released his story.

"Promise not to laugh?"

"Promise."

"She made us practice together." He muttered turning his face away from her.

"Well that's not so…. Oh." Lily broke off and bit her lip in an effort not to laugh but there was little point in it as when James met her eyes she burst out laughing earning several strange looks from those dancing around them.

"You promised not to laugh." James looked hurt but the laughter in his eyes gave him away and soon the sound of his deep laughter joined Lily's giggles.

"You want a drink?" James asked as the music for the fourth dance started.

"Sure." Lily replied slightly out of breath. James led her off the dance floor weaving his way through the many couples and out of the corner of her eye Lily saw her friends leave the floor as well and they all congregated at the largest table in the corner of the hall furthest from the door.

"Having fun?" Isobel asked as she and the other girls squeezed round the table and their dates disappeared towards the drinks table to collect bottles of butterbeer for them all, Sirius lamenting loudly about the lack of firewhisky.

"Definitely." Emmeline pushed her curls away from her face, her face slightly flushed from the dancing.

"This was definitely what we needed." Lizzie agreed. The first term of their seventh year had been a long one packed with work, quidditch for some and duties towards the school as well as the outside fear that one day they would receive the dreadful news that something had happened to their families at the hands of Voldemort and his followers.

"The Slytherins don't look too happy." Dorcas changed the subject nodding in the direction of table across the hall from them where many seventh year Slytherins were gathered muttering darkly and casting smug looks in the direction towards James and the others at the drinks table.

Lily felt a pang in her chest as she noticed Severus sitting with them wearing the same look as his companions but quickly shook the feeling off as her eyes met James's as he came back towards her two bottles in his hands.

"Here you go." He grinned sliding the bottle across the table to her and then dropping down into the empty chair next to her. Lily thanked him and then had to remind herself to tear her eyes away from his figure and enter the conversation. Charlotte caught her look and smirked at her before engaging Sirius in conversation.

################################################################################################################################

A few hours later there were very few couples left dancing and Lily and James were the only ones of their friends still in the hall. "I had a great time tonight James." Lily smiled at him breaking the lull in their conversation.

"Me too." He replied surprising Lily by his lack of obnoxious comments along the lines of _don't you wish you went out with me earlier_. But he had matured something which his agreement to go only as friends had proved.

As the last couple left the hall Lily found herself incredibly aware of the close proximity of their bodies and the passionate look in James's eyes as his met hers. "Sirius." James sighed.

"Excuse me?" Lily questioned as he interrupted what she had thought was a moment between them with the name of his best friend no less.

James took one arm away from its position around her waist and pointed up above their heads to where a branch of mistletoe hung. "I think we can thank Sirius for that."

"I think we can." Lily smiled as they leant their heads together their lips about to meet when there was a cough from the door causing them both to jump away as though they had been burnt. Dumbledore stood there the usual twinkle in his eyes absent.

"Sorry to interrupt." He apologised as Lily blushed. "But I need to speak to James."

"I'll meet up with you later." James bent down to whisper to Lily. "I'm sorry." She nodded trying to ignore the feeling of disappointment in her stomach and rationalise to herself that she didn't have feelings for James.

He disappeared out the door with Dumbledore leaving Lily standing alone under the mistletoe a blush across her cheeks.

##############################################################################################################################

James tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as he made his way through the corridors following Dumbledore to his office. He wasn't sure whether they were of disappointment or nerves but suspected that they were probably a product of both.

He steered his thoughts in another direction and ran his mind over the laws of Transfiguration that McGonagall was planning on testing them on when they came back from the Christmas break.

"James." Dumbledore's voice broke into his thoughts and James suddenly realised that they were in his office and Dumbledore was pushing him into a seat.

"What's going on sir?" The Head Boy asked giving up on his attempt to squash the butterflies.

Dumbledore heaved a sigh and dropped into his own chair and leant forward across his desk a pained look on his face. "I'm sorry James."

"Sorry for what?" James snapped irritated for Dumbledore's slow movements and speech when all he wanted to know was what had happened.

"There was a raid on your home tonight by Voldemort and his Deatheaters." Dumbledore's voice was low and quiet and James could feel his searching gaze on his face.

"But they all got out ok right? No one's hurt." He could feel the rising panic in his chest and his breath constricted in his chest tightly as Dumbledore shook his head.

"They fought hard James but…"

"What happened?" The marauder shoved back his chair and stood before Dumbledore his hands clenched at his side, a panicked look spread across his face.

"You're mother and father, they're dead."

##############################################################################################################################

Everything had gone downhill from there. James had disappeared from Hogwarts leaving McGonagall to break the news to his friends. After that Sirius had disappeared from the tower as well and Remus had shut himself into his dormitory.

The girls had been stunned into silence; Isobel who was a pureblood and was a close family friend of the Potters had curled up into the chair closest to the fire and was staring into the flames tears streaming down her face her shoulders shaking with sobs.

Lizzie was sitting on the floor at Isobel's feet as a gesture of comfort but apart from that had decided not to push it any further well aware that Isobel liked to deal with her emotions by herself and in her own time. Her own thoughts were preoccupied with the shock of two of the most famous aurors being wiped out in one day and the parents of a friend no less. Her heart grieved for James but was also scared for their future, would they see old age?

Emmeline was sitting cross legged on the coffee table biting her lip and staring at the portrait door as though someone would walk through and tell them that everything had been a lie. That Mr and Mrs Potter were sitting in their living room talking about their son and that James wasn't grieving for the parents he had loved and now lost.

Charlotte was sitting one end of the sofa her knees drawn to her chest and her head resting on them. Every so often she would lift her head and stare at the door as though Sirius would walk back through it. Her face was emotionless but her eyes betrayed her distress and anguish for both Sirius and James and the fear for them all.

Lily was sitting next to Charlotte facing her friend sideways on with her back against the sofa arm and therefore, the portrait hole. Her eyes were brimming with tears but she held them back as her thoughts mulled over what was happening to James, to Sirius and she grieved for the people she had never met but now wished that she had. These thoughts were mingling with those of the moments she had had with James and eventually everything became too much for her and her head dropped sideways as she fell asleep.

################################################################################################################################

Christmas Day was the worst day any of them had had for a while. James still hadn't returned but McGonagall had assured them all that he was safe and with Frank Longbottom and his girlfriend, Alice, who had graduated the year before and James and Frank had grown up together and were almost brothers.

Frank's parents had also been killed in the same attack and so none of them could complain that James was spending his Christmas with them although Lily desperately wanted to be able to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything would be ok.

The day itself had been horrible for all. Sirius had reappeared but joined Remus in their dorm without a word to the girls and none of them wanted to go up. Instead they had spent the day gathered round the fire exchanging presents but the unwrapping had left the taste of ash in their mouth and almost as soon as the paper was off the presents were put to one side and the room descended further into a silent gloom.

Lizzie had tried to read the novel Emmeline had given her but had set it aside after only a few pages. The others hadn't even bothered to try and in the end Isobel had retired upstairs and when Charlotte went up a after a while she was curled up on her bed asleep.

Emmeline had shut the windows to drown out the sounds of the few sixth years that were having a snowball fight outside and was painfully reminding all of them of their own only days before when everything had been so happy and free.

For everyone else was blissfully unaware of the pain that was covering the Gryffindor seventh years although Lizzie was sure that the others in their year had heard but were considerately leaving them to their own misery without trying to force them into something they didn't want too.

Even McGonagall seemed down when she had dropped into check on them all and Lizzie could have sworn that there were tears in her eyes. It wasn't until later did she recall James having mentioned that she and his mother had gone to school together did she understand why.

###############################################################################################################################

By the day after Boxing Day the girls were spending the day with their work and two tables were pushed together in the common room and they worked silently only breaking it to ask each other questions.

Sirius and Remus had ventured down into the common room upon Charlotte bringing them the news that James was due to return that day around lunchtime. Remus had picked up a book although Charlotte suspected that he was only half reading it and Sirius was pacing the room stopping every so often to meet Charlotte's eyes.

By one o'clock when Lily was ready to cause serious bodily harm to Sirius for the constant pacing there was the sound of someone muttering the password and then James appeared. His face was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes and tear tracks stained his face.

There was a silence as they all looked at each other and then Sirius and Remus were surrounding James with brief hugs and low words. Charlotte turned her face away from the scene where the three almost brothers were comforting each other to stop herself from crying.

Once they had deemed it an acceptable length of time before they intruded Isobel led the way over to the trio and looped her arms around James's waist in a tight hug. Lily tried to ignore the jealous feelings as she saw them embrace and hastily reminded herself that they had more of sibling relationship and besides Isobel was happy with Benjy.

Once the quiet commotion had died away most of them returned to what they had been doing before leaving Lily standing with James. "I'm sorry."She whispered placing her hand on his arm. He tried to smile at her but failed miserably and Lily quickly wrapped her arms around his waist relaxing slightly as she felt his own go around her.

They stayed like that for a long time until the sound of Charlotte swearing interrupted everyone as she dropped her heavy textbook onto her foot, completely missing the other book on the floor which she had been aiming to drop this one on top of.

Lily blushed as she moved out of his arms and joined the others where they were sitting around the fire. James glanced over at them before muttering something and fleeing up to his dormitory leaving Lily feeling slightly confused about whether she was supposed to follow him or not. Thankfully she didn't have to decide as Remus and Sirius got to their feet and followed their friend up.

################################################################################################################################

"You should eat something James." Remus pushed a plate of potatoes towards his friend at the same time as Sirius shoved the dish of chicken towards him.

"I'm not hungry." He protested ignoring both the dishes in front of him and the eyes of the two in front of him.

"They're right." A small voice beside him agreed with both Sirius and Remus and James looked to his left to see Lily staring up at him her emerald eyes showing clearly the worry that she felt for him. "You need to eat."

He opened his mouth to protest but the pressing concern in her eyes made him sigh and reach for a couple of potatoes and piece of chicken as he found himself wondering why he could never say no to her.

"How do you do it?" Sirius mouthed at Lily as James swallowed some food. She shrugged but the relieved look in her eyes was mirrored in his own. James hadn't eaten very little since he had returned to Hogwarts and his friends weren't the only ones who were concerned. Even McGonagall had been checking up on him via Remus and Lily.

###############################################################################################################################

It had been four days since James had found out of his new orphaned status and although the depressed mood was still everywhere James had slowly began to move on and he had climbed back onto a broom today and the rest of them had felt comfortable in laughing again.

Eventually they had had enough to eat and James had eaten enough to satisfy Lily they left the hall slowly making their way up to the common room where they collapsed all squished together in the small selection of furniture around the fire.

"Do you think he's getting more powerful?" Lizzie asked taking a sip of her hot chocolate which Sirius and Charlotte had brought back for everyone after a appreciated yet illegal trip to the kitchens.

Instinctively all heads swivelled to face the window where the rain hit against the window in the dark. Lily felt James's hand feel for hers and she squeezed it reassuringly as they all pondered on how best to answer Lizzie's question.

Sirius answered first although his answer wasn't particularly reassuring or explanatory. "Yeah' he's gaining followers as we speak." His face darkened at this point and Remus and James exchanged a worried look but Charlotte diffused the situation by leaning her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arm around his waist.

"He won't take over though will he?" Isobel asked biting her lip nervously at the thought of Voldemort and the despised Slytherins ruling over them.

"He'll try." Remus muttered darkly.

"Well we're just have to stop him." Emmeline said her eyes flashing fiercely as her thoughts became filled with stuck up purebloods harming muggles and muggleborns. "There's no way I'm just standing back and watching him torture and kill innocent people."

"Hear Hear." James agreed toasting her with his mug. "We won't let him win besides Dumbledore's on our side and we all know that…."

"He was the only one Voldemort ever feared." Lily finished. "He won't win." She stated confidently.

"But at what price." James murmured quietly but his words reached all of them with a horrible reminder of what he had lost and the potential of what they could all loose.

The conversation descended into silence and they all gradually disappeared off up to bed to ponder over their own thoughts on the subject until only Lily and James were left downstairs.

"Do you really think we'll be ok?" Lily asked her dropping onto his shoulder and her eyes drooping.

"As long as we stick together." He gave her a small smile and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"I'd like that." Lily whispered as her eyes fluttered closed and when James looked down a moment later she was fast asleep curled up against him. Yes he thought to himself, looking down at the girl he loved sleeping on his shoulder and his thoughts drifting up to those upstairs, if they stuck together they'd be ok.

_**Thanks for reading. I was planning on having Lily and James actually get together but this story just kept writing itself and steering itself in directions away from the actual asking out. And I decided that I could end it here where it is implied that we get together very soon. I would have continued it onto where they actually did but I will have no more time to write from now until after Christmas and wanted this up before then. I may add to it but when I feel obliged to write more I quite often loose inspiration hence the poor attempts at multichapter stories. **_

_**Sorry for rambling on what I really want to say is Merry Christmas (to those who celebrate) and Happy December (to those who don't). **_

_**Thanks again. **_

_**Tacxxx**_


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